Uterine supporter.



Patented Mar. 20, 1917.

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EDW'ARD F. SHAULIS,

OF INDIANA, PENNSYLVAN IA.

UTERINE SUPPORTER.

Application filed December 11, 1915.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, ED\V;\RD F. SHAULIS, acitizen of the United titates, residing at Indiana, in the county offndiana and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Uterine Supporters; and I do hereby declare thefollowing to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention,such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains tomake and use the same.

My invention relates to new and useful improvements in uterinesupporters, and more particularly to that class which is held in placeby the surrounding tissues.

The object of this invention is to provide a supporter which will be ofextremely light weight and which will effectively serve its purposewithout injury to the uterus, the periuterine tissue or the wall of thevagina.

A further object is to provide a collapsible, sectional supporter whichmay be readily inserted into position and removed therefrom, while saidsupporter is in collapsed or closed position.

A further object is to provide a supporter having large, smooth,contacting surfaces for' uniform pressure against all pelvic structures,thus avoiding any thin or narrow ring surfaces which will tend toperforate or injure certain internal organs.

A still further object is to provide a supporter which will take uprelaxed periuterine tissues well as cystocele and rectocele and whichwill help to correct versions, flexion and prolapsed conditions.

And a further object is to provide a suporter of the above indicatedcharacter which will permit uterine drainage if necessary and notproduce irritation.

Other objects and advantages will be hereinafter more particularly setforth and pointed out in the specification hereunto attached.

In the accompanying drawings which are made a part of this application,

Figure l is an elevation of the supporter in its extended position.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view thereof.

Fig. 3 is an inverted plan view.

Fig. 4; is a central vertical sectional View with the parts extended,and

Fig. 5 is .a similar view with the parts folded or telescoped.

Referring to the drawings in which similar reference numerals designatecorre- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 2 9, 1917.

Serial No. 66,299.

sponding parts throughout the several views 1 designates thebody portionof the supporter which is preferably constructed and formed of acircular ring, the inner lower edge thereof having an inturned annularflange 2, while the upper outer wall is reduced in circumference to forma shoulder 3, the face of the reduced portion having threads a thereon.Adapted to cooperate with the threads of the body portion and form aclosure for one end thereof, is a cap 5, the central portion 6 of whichis concaved to form a cup shaped depression 7, said concaved or cupportion being designed to receive the uterus. Cooperating with the bodyportion 1 and movably mounted therein is an auxiliary cup-shaped member8 having at its I open edge an outwardly extending annularflange 9 whichis adapted to cooperate with the flange 2 to limit the outward movementof the auxiliary member, said auxiliary member being normally held inoutward position by means of a spring 10 which spring may be constructedof any suitable material and be of any preferable construction, althoughin the present instance, I have shown the same as a coil spring.

In order to provide for suitable uterine drainage, the wall of thecup-shaped member 7 and the outer wall 11 of the auxiliary member 8 areprovided with any suitable number of openings 12 and 13 respectively.

The points of contact of the supporter with the lining of the vagina aresymmetrically curved as at 14, 15 and 16, thus giving a broad, smooth,uniform bearing surface and one that will not irritate the partscontacted when the supporter is being introduced or removed or whilebeing worn. The parts of the device are preferably constructed of hardrubber or similar material, such as bakelite, although, it will beunderstood that any other suitable form of material may be used and thatthe holder may be made in sizes to meet the needs and will not be harderto insert than a hard rubber ring. It will also be noted that all of thebearing parts are of broad construction thereby presenting no thinnarrow parts which would tend to perforate certain of the pelvic organsand further, that there are no buckles or straps to cause though theycould be attached if needed.

The supporter permits of a uterine drain-- age while in use, and it isonly necessary to remove the device often enough to cleanse perinealirritation, al-' the same and see that it does not produce anyirritation.

It is supported and held in proper position by the supporting tissues onaccount of its large smooth surface which creates a uniform pressureagainst all pelvic structures. It will likewise take up relaxedperiuterine tissues as well as cystocele and rectocele, and on accountof the smooth curve on the upper edge of the instrument, as at 14, uponwhich the uterus is to rest, it will serve to correct versions, flexionsand prolapsed conditions as will be understood.

In applying the device to use the auxiliary cup member is forced intothe body 1 and the supporter then introduced into the vagina, afterwhich the supporter is turned into proper position, when the spring willimmediately move the auxiliary cup to its normal outward position. Inremoving the supporter the above described operations are reversed.

It will thus be seen. that I have provided a supporter which will beeffective in use and in view of the small number of parts and theirsimple formation, it may be manufactured at an extremely low figure.

What I claim is z- 1. In a supporting device, a cylindrical body portionhaving an annular inwardly directed flange at one end, and a reducedportion at its opposite end forming a shoulder, the outer face of thereduced end being threaded, a cap having interior threads on its sidewall adapted to engage the threads of the reduced end of the bodyportion, the inner end of the side wall of the cap resting upon saidshoulder, the thickness of the side Wall of the cap being equal to thewidth of said shoulder whereby a uniform unbroken exterior surface willbe provided from the outer end of the cap to the outer end of the body,said surface being oval, and gradually decreasing in diameter from theouter edge of said cap to the outer end of the body, an

auxiliary cup-shaped member having an annular outwardly projectingflange to coop crate with the flange of the body portion and limit theoutward movement of the auxiliary member, the exterior of said cup shapemember being likewise oval shaped and gradually decreasing in diameterfrom its inner to its outer edge and a spring having its ends engagingthe auxiliary cup member and the cap respectively, said spring nor mallyholding the auxiliary cup in extended. position.

2. In a supporting device, a hollow body portion having a shoulderexterior-1y thereof, a cap threaded on to the body portion and havingits edge abutting against said shoulder, the peripheral faces of thebody and cap being oval and extended in an unbroken line the full heightof the body and cap, said face gradually decreasing in diameter from theouter edge of said cap to the outer end of the body, the outer ends ofthe body and cap being rounded, the end wall of said cap beingconcavoconvex to form a cup-shaped depression, an auxiliary cup-shapedmember, the exterior of said cup shape member being likewise oval shapedand gradually decreasing in diameter from its inner to its outer edge,means to limit the outward movement of the auxiliary cup-shaped member,a helical-shaped coiled spring having one of its ends engaging saidauxiliary member and its opposite end engaging the end Wall of the capand disposed around the concavo-convex portion thereof, said springbeing adapted to normally hold the auxiliary member in extendedposition.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

EDWARD F. SHAULIS.

Witnesses:

WILLIAM BANKS, LLOYD G. WELLS.

Gopies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G. v

